The Brookhaven leader., 1887-10-06

/. r. HEGGIE-DEAR SIR: Your let
ter opens up wide field of enquiry, of
the most interesting character to the
thoughtful Mississippian. shall not
be able, in any short space, to answer you
fully; but l will give you the main
points, with only comment enough for
properly understanding them.
Every rejecting person, who observes
closely what is going on in Mississippi,
and the condition of our people, will be
satisfied that the present outlook is not
encouraging. If he seek remedy he
will probably find that any remedy
worth trying will be slow in its progress,
however efficacious it may be in the
end.
I shall, in the outset, give some ac-
count of our
PAST AND PRESENT CONDITION,
and then discuss the remedies which APP
pear to be in our reach; as all this will
be found very german to the enquiries
in your letter.
Taken all together, the lands in Mis-
sissippi are, or rather were, the equal In
fertility, to the lands in any State in the
Union. Our prairie region, and what is
called the bluff region, embracing the
hill counties from Tennessee to Louis
lana, lying next to the Yazoo Delta,
and below Vicksburg, next to the Mis-
sissippi river, are o. the finest uplands
in the world. Our YazOo Delta, four
tfths rs large as the Nile Delta, on
which once fourished millions of peo-
pie, and many of the largest cities in
the world, is unequaled by any district
of the same size in the world. The re-
mainder of the State, though less fertile,
is by no means barren, but with its more
salubrious climate, it promises, with
good culture, the greatest and most
abundant yield to the labors of the far
mer.
The above is our natural condition. 1t
is the State as God gave it to us. With
this soil and climate, Mississippi was
once great and prosperous State. by
the census of 1860, Mississippi was
shown to be the thirteenth State in the
value of her lands; the third State in
the value of her personal estate; and the
ninth State in both combined; and she
was the eighth State in per capita wealth.
In population she was only the four
tenth. This was
A SPLENDID SHOWING;
and even now, in our poverty and retro
gression, we can but think of it with
pride; and | look on it with satisfaction
because it gives one the strongest assur
ance that our natural conditions are such
That we may regain our lost rank, and
even advance it.
In 1870 Mississippi had refrigerated to
De the twenty-sixth State in aggregate
wealth; the forty-frst State in per capita
wealth; and, in 1880, being then the
eighteenth State in population, she had
refrigerated to be only the forty-sixth in
per capita wealth; only one of the Terri
tories being behind her in this respect.
let whilst, in 1880, she was thus far out
OF her natural rank, she was the thir-
Ceenth State in the value of her agricul-
tural production. Put these together:
IN 1880, Mississippi was thirteenth in
agricultural production, eighteenth in
population, twenty-eighth in aggregate
wealth, and forty-sixth in per capita
wealth. For all this, see census of 1880,
vol. Z. 80
The causes for this state of affairs are
manifold-some within our power to re-
move, and others not, SO far as l can
see. At present, Mississippi is agricul-
tural-almost entirely. As yet, if we
nave mines and ores, they are not de-
Veloped, and / fear they are not inviting
enough to cause Us to expect early |
development. By the census of 1880
all persons in Mississippi =, engaged
IN Hgainful occupations amounted
TO 4l5,506. OF these there were
engaged in agricultural production
and stock raising, 340,65l, leaving on-